After yesterday’s Chateau’s loveliness, we decide to try our luck with a second. Langeais, only a few kilometres away fits right bill perfectly. Set on the Loire, the sneak preview on our map looks very promising.
FANG* directs us there, and we dutifully set out to explore…but there’s no Chateau. “Right” says we, “must be around here somewhere”. We discover a pretty 12th century church, l’Eglise Saint-Martin, with ancient frescoes, but no Chateau hiding behind a corner.
I check the map – definitely meant to be one, right on the river. We ask Google to direct us to the river: it’s 2 km away. Something’s not right. Closer inspection reveals we’re at Lignieres-de-Touraine, not Langeais. Someone wasn’t paying attention when he programmed FANG this morning.
Luckily it’s easily resolved and a few kilometres later we’re there. And wouldn’t you know it, it’s market day. We’ve come just at the end of it. A pity – had we not come to the wrong location, we might have had a chance to explore.
The Chateau towers gloriously over the village, a many turreted spectacular.
We wander about what’s left of the market, and it dawns on me: we’ve been here before, after we drove out of Tours in 2015. It was market day then too. We stopped only breifly, with the promise of a return visit. Himself bought potatoes cooked in rotisseried chicken fat and declared them the best he’s eaten. That’s a big claim – the man eats a lot of potatoes. I’m very excited to be back for a better look.
With our false start, it’s well past lunch. Settling just under the Chateau, Himself plumps for a croque monsieur, with “the works”
whilst I enjoy a French interpretation of “le scone” roasted courgette and camembert, melted onto excellent bread. I have no idea how that came to be called a scone, but it was tasty.
Post lunch, we’re finally free to explore. Being a Sunday, everything is shut of course, bar the church and the Chateau. I’m amazed the market was on.
We pop into the Eglise Saint-Baptiste. It’s an interesting church, with what appears to be a three stage build, with centuries between them. I find out later that the oldest section, the crypt, was built in the 10th century with the tower added in the 12th century. Further additions were made in the 16th and 18th centuries. A thousand years of history. Incredible.
Given the size of the market, surprisingly there’s barely a trace of it left by the time we walk back from the church. Only the Market Hall remains.
“Let’s tour the Chateau” I say to Himself, raring to go.
But you would believe it, dear readers, I can’t rouse him. “Lots of levels” he says. And he won’t budge. On the nicest day we’ve had in ages (and by nice, I mean not horribly hot) I can’t get a bite. Instead he wants to drive towards Tours “so that we’re close for tomorrow”. Which we do. Given that it’s only 30 or so km away, I’m not buying this, finding ourselves mid afternoon in neither town. Nowhere, really.
I’m rather cross by this stage. Robbed of a Chateau I really wanted to see, twice now, with the added “bonus” of being stuck with nothing to do (not my favourite state). It’s not a good combination and I’m not my best self. I’ll tell you one thing, dear readers, woe betide the person who attempts to foil my third attempt at touring that Chateau. Meanwhile, I power through books and movies, in no better mood than when I started. It’s a long night.
* FANG = Fancily Abled New Garmin. A satellite navigation device that didn’t have the best induction this year. If you need a laugh about communication in long term relationships, look up 2019 Day 13 – Not Best Pleased. https://missbacitravels.blog/2019/06/09/2019-day-13-not-best-pleased/
Miss Baci Travels 